We are looking for experienced riders

The Waterberg Trust Challenge Ride 2019

ARE YOU UP FOR A CHALLENGE?

ARE YOU READY FOR AN ADVENTURE IN AFRICA?

Following the success of our fourth annual ride in 2018, we are looking for fit and experienced riders to join us on a sponsored horse safari to raise funds for Save the Waterberg Rhino along with educational, health and welfare projects that uplift the communities in the area.

Overall dates: 26 January to 3 February 2019 

 Ant Baber, owner of Ant’s Nest, has offered to lead us 200kms through the private game reserves of the Waterberg over 6 days, on his beautiful horses.

Sophie Neville  riding on Ant's Nest 2016

PROPOSED ITINERARY                                                                                             

DAY 1 – Sunday 27 January You will be met off your International flight at Oliver Tambo Airport, Johannesburg and driven north, about 3 hours, to Ant’s Nest Private Game Reserve deep in the African bush. Lunch will be served on your arrival. After settling into the lodge we will go for a game ride looking for zebra and wildebeest so that you can try out your horse. If you are not totally happy you can try a different mount the next day - there are about forty to choose from a mixture of Thoroughbreds, Arabs, Friesians, Boerperds. It will be high summer in South Africa so the bushveld will be green. We’ll be able to hear about plans for the ride as we have dinner by the fire that evening.

Sophie Neville riding with white rhino

DAY 2 – Monday 28 January We’ll spend the day riding up to Ant's Hill, viewing game on horseback and looking for a breeding herd of buffalo, as well as rare sable and roan antelope. Each rider will pack a small bag with a swimsuit, wash-bag and clothes for the next three nights on safari. As the sun goes down, you’ll meet white rhino living on the reserve while Tessa Baber gives a talk on the work of Save the Waterberg Rhino. The Waterberg is home to the third largest population of rhino in South Africa, so their protection on the plateau is vital.

Sophie Neville with Save the Waterberg Rhino

DAY 3 – Tuesday 29 January We will set off early, riding east into neighbouring game reserves where we can canter for miles. We are planning to have lunch at the Waterberg Living Museum where we can learn more about rhino from the author and artist Clive Walker, one of South Africa’s leading conservationists. That afternoon we hope ride through a reserve breeding rare golden wildebeest up to Triple B Ranch, the cattle stud owned by Ant’s family for over a hundred years. There are beautiful gardens here and a warm pool. We’ll stay at Windsong Cottage - the farmhouse built in the 1920’s by Alfred Baber, Ant’s grandfather.

Weaver bird nests

DAY 4 – Wednesday 30 January We will ride past the village school on the farm and down to the game reserve at Horizon, which will give us the chance of seeing impala, zebra, giraffe and eland along with primate species, as we might spot vervet monkeys and baboon. Lunch will be enjoyed at a beautiful dam where the horses can graze.  We’ll have a long ride in the afternoon, as we make our way through Lindani private game reserve for the night. There is a good paddock here for the horses, a pool and we should be able to see game from the lodge.

Sophie Neville on Lindani game reserve January 2018

DAY 5 – Thursday 31 January  We will spend the morning riding through Lindani,  where we should see warthog, zebra, giraffe, eland, red hartebeest, wildebeest and greater kudu. We will then make our way back to the lodge for a late lunch, enjoying fast canters on sandy tracks. After a well earned rest, we will swop our horses for a game viewer and drive into the stunning Lapalala Game Reserve, looking for wildlife, before arriving at the Lapalala Wilderness School, which runs residential courses in nature conservation and environmental awareness for local children.

Lapalala Wilderness School

DAY 6 – Friday 1 February  We’ll saddle our horses early to ride to Jembisa, a beautiful private game reserve to the north. After climbing a kloof, we’ll walk down a steep escarpment and ride under high red cliffs where vultures nest. The route takes us along African dirt roads and into the reserve where lunch is planned. That afternoon we will reach the Palala River where the ride ends. After saying goodbye to our horses, we will be able to relax at the lodge, and appreciate comfy beds and hot baths.

Greater Kudu on Jembisa 

Saturday 2 February  After a more leisurely wake-up, we will take a game drive to see ancient bushmen paintings on the reserve before brunch, and then drive to the township in Vaalwater. Here we will visit Lethabo Kids Club in the township of Lesiding  and meet Nurse Grace before heading to the airport via an community sewing project and excellent curio shop. We suggest flight BA54 which leaves at 21.50.

Back to School project

Sunday 3 February Your flight will arrive back in the UK early morning or on Monday 4 February if you opt to take an extra day to relax at leisure at Jembisa to unwind after the demanding ride.

Ant Baber finishing The Waterberg Trust Ride 2018

The ride is a unique opportunity to ride alongside wild animals in this beautiful area, now proclaimed a UNESCO biosphere. The itinerary may change - but only for the better! We are hoping for a group of 12 riders who need to be fit and experienced as there will be approx 25-45kms of riding per day.

Sophie Neville at Jembisa

“I am back at my desk and galloping through the African bush seems light years away! I just wanted to thank you for a really amazing experience... I think you have a winning formula as the riding is wonderful but all the extra experiences such as the school, youth club and church, made it a truly unique experience and insight into the Waterberg.” Mary Riall 2018 TWT rider

Endangered white rhino

Riders pay their own flights, transfers, safari costs and travel insurance.

To participate you need to raise a minimum sponsorship of £1000 for The Waterberg Trust. As a registered UK charity, Gift Aid can then be added. 50% of sponsorship raised will go to Save the Waterberg Rhino Trust and 50% will go to community projects in the Waterberg. While we encourage riders to find sponsorship some of us are raising the donation of £1,000 in other ways such as hosting a sale or asking for donations instead of birthday gifts

Please contact  Belinda or Sophie for help with fundraising ideas and making a Justgiving page (Belinda bchaffer@btinternet.com or Sophie sophie@sophieneville.co.uk)

Since we plan to visit a number of the projects being supported by The Waterberg Trust you will get the chance to meet local people we are helping.

Ant's Nest:  www.waterberg.net

Windsong on Triple B Ranch: http://www.waterbergcottages.co.za

Lindani: http://lindani.co.za/

Jembisa:  www.jembisa.com

Save the Waterberg Rhino:  http://waterberg.net/save-the-waterberg-rhino

You can see photos from previous rides, along with information about the projects and info on how to make donations on The Waterberg Trust website: http://thewaterbergtrust.com

Travel with a purpose

- Author Sophie Neville in South Africa - 

I have been passionate about promoting the conservation of the rhinoceros all my adult life. This year we gathered a group of twelve experienced riders to generate funds for Save The Waterberg Rhino and associated community projects in rural South Africa.

The idea was to raise sponsorship by riding 180kms across the Waterberg hills to the Palala River, a six-day trek through the big game country featured in my memoir 'Ride the Wings of Morning'. Each rider paid their own safari costs and raised £1,000 or more for The Waterberg Trust - a small but effective UK registered charity.

We set out on 20th January. It was high summer in southern Africa where the bush was blooming after recent rains. We came across zebra and wildebeest enjoying lush grazing after a year of dought. 

To our joy we saw animals great and small from warthog to giraffe.

We came across Cape buffalo

along with a number of different species of antelope, including rare roan antelope recently been re-introduced to the area.

And then we encountered white rhino.

I was cautious about approaching these two young males but they are used to horses, who graze with them on the game reserve, and I was able to get pretty close. 

-The author Sophie Neville riding with rhino-

The threat of poaching is so accute that their horns have been saturated in poison to negate their astonishing commercial value. They also have a 24 hour armed guard.

Details of the current crisis were revealed by Save The Waterberg Rhino. There are five different species of rhinoceros in the world. All are threatened, some to the edge of extinction. In South Africa along, poachers have been slaughtering about four white rhino a day. These are breeding animals. Females with small calves are shot, their horns hacked off and exported to the Far East. 

There is a huge market for the horn. It is only keratin and can smell revolting but sadly it is fashionable to own what has become a symbol of wealth. 

The good news is that The Waterberg Trust raised over £30,000 this year. 50% of funds will be used to install a vital security post with high-tech vehicle recognition systems. 

-Sophie Neville with some TWT Riders outside a security post about to be installed-

The remainder will go to established community projects in the area that benefit local children. £2,000 has been sent to Lethabo Kids Club for the provision of school shoes and bags. 

-TWT riders financing a 'Back to School' project-

We've been able to send more than 100 pupils from the township of Leseding on a residential course at Lapalala Wilderness School to learn about nature conservation. After gaining environmental awareness some chose to work with wildlife or in education and there is a marked committment to re-cycling.  

-Sophie Neville speaking to the students of Metshesethela School-

If you would like to know more or get involved please contact us at The Waterberg Trust

  

Riding for Rhinos

On 15th January 2017, author Sophie Neville led twelve intrepid ladies across the Waterberg Plateau in South Africa on horseback. The aim of the challenge rides is to gain an understanding of this pristine wilderness and learn about challenges faced by the rural community. 

Lying three hours drive north of Johannesburg, the Waterberg is home to the third highest population of rhino in the world. As up to four rhino are being poached in South Africa every day, it is imperative to guard this upland area where they can be protected.

Would you help us to raise funds for Save The Waterberg Rhino, who are combating anti-poaching, the Lapalala Wilderness School who help ensure local children grow up with an understanding of nature conservation, and other community projects in the region?

The riders are paying their own way, so every penny will go straight to The Waterberg Trust, a UK registered charity who can send donations, plus any Gift Aid, to these small but effective projects in South Africa. Funds will go a long way to really make a difference in the Waterberg where they will be administered by trusted conservationists with years of experience. You can meet those who are striving to Save The Waterberg Rhino and protect the wilderness while uplifting communities in the Waterberg, here:

Those taking part in The Waterberg Trust Challenge Ride 2017 were able to observe a number of white rhino living on Ant's Nest game reserve, while being updated on anti-poaching initiatives by Tess and her husband Ant Baber who hosted the six-day ride.

Riders then crossed the Waterberg hills on horseback, traversing Kwalata private game reserve to Lapalala Wilderness run by Anton Walker, who also appears in this film. He cares for wildlife re-introduced to the area thirty years ago by his father, the author and conservationist Clive Walker.

While on this reserve, riders visited the Lapalala Wilderness School where children, often from deprived communities, come for a residential course on wildlife conservation. Many of them testify how this experience changes their outlook on life, giving them an appreciation for their environment and the future of South Africa's wild animals. The children take their enthusiasm into the community whose support is essential if poaching is to be combated.

After thirty-two hours in the saddle, riders ended up at the Palala River on Jembisa private game reserve. On their way home they went to visit Letabo Kids Club in the local township of Leseding who minister to the poorest of the poor and ensure all children attend primary school.

Sophie Neville at the Palala River

50% of funds raised by the sponsored ride will go to Save The Waterberg Rhino and 50% to support community projects in the area.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP:

• Support the project on Social Media and receive news:
• For The Waterberg Trust's Facebook page, please click here
• For Save The Waterberg Rhino's Facebook page, please click here
• For the Lapalala Wilderness School's page, please click here
• Find out about Save The Waterberg Rhino
• Make a donation to The Waterberg Trust, please click here for address
• Donate via The Waterberg Trust Justgiving page
• Sponsor Sophie on her Justgiving page

As a UK registered charity, The Waterberg Trust can claim Gift Aid on eligible donations, and organise transfer of funds to South Africa efficiently. Add a note to specify 'Save the Waterberg Rhino' or 'Lapalala Wilderness School' with your donation.

Riding on the Coast of Mozambique ~ Part One

Mozambique, where we rode along the coast at Vilanculos

and on the island of Benguerra in the Bazaruto Archipelago 

gazing out over the Indian Ocean

observing traditional life

eating coconut and cashew nut fruit

along with local dishes

riding inland with Pat Retzlaff

to traditional villages

where I spotted this hen-house before coming back along the shore

and

riding home by moonlight

Click here to read more about Mozambique Horse Safaris

Do use the comment box below if you have any questions.
I'm thinking of taking a group of six riders there next year!

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The Waterberg Charity Ride 2015 ~ Part Two ~ Getting Underway

We set off from Horizon Horseback Lodge on a fine sunny morning, making our way along empty tracks and up into the hills of the Waterberg. Our biggest challenge, encountered that first day was the sun. Coming from Europe we'd all been longing for the warmth but a heatwave hit the Limpopo Province and all we could do to cool off was to ride faster.

However we also had cool days when our team of twelve enjoyed excellent game viewing.

We rode with zebra, wildebeeste, eland, blesbok, implala, greater kudu, warthog,oryx, waterbuck, mountain reedbuck,grey duiker, red heatebeeste, jackal, giraffe and saw crocodile, hippo, ostrich, baboon, vervet moneky, slender mongoose, tree squirel, sable antelope, nyla, bush buck and white rhino.

On the first evening we met a debra - a hyrbid standing with it's parents: a donkey stallion and a zebra mare. Everyone kept asking me if we'd see springbok. I explained that we were too far north only to see a pair on our last day.

As horse lovers, we also enjoyed riding past horses kept in the bush. Along with Anglo Arabs and Boerperde you find quite a few Friesian horses bred in South Africa. A highlight of the trip was encountering white rhino at Ant's Hill.

We missed seeing rhino from horseback, but Ant took us out on an evening game drive when we watched a family of four taking an evening mud bath, one by one.

All the riders found the fast sections exhilarating.

On day three we took some of the wide sandy roads up and over the hill from Ant's Nest to Lindani Game Reserve cantering whenever we could.

Riding through the wilderness, where there were no roads or fences, was a great privilege. As well as raising money to uplift the children and students of the region we found ourselves learning about the ecology of the Waterberg Biosphere. In some ways it was a fantastic adventure - a holiday - but the riders paid all their own expenses and were giving freely of their time.

 We also had rivers to cross and hills to climb but the most challenging section was yet to come.

~ The Waterberg Charity Ride 2015 ~ 

If you have any questions 

or would like to find out more about

  the annual Waterberg Charity Ride 

please add a comment in the box below.

To find our Justgiving page
please click here

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